Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has labelled Victor Osimhen best striker in the world after the Galatasaray star inspired the team to victory over Benin Republic in Uyo on Tuesday.
Nigeria won the 2026 FIFA World Cup World qualifying matchday 10 encounter 4-0.
Osimhen netted twice in the first half, and registered another goal after the break.
Chelle On Osimhen
Chelle also described his players as champions.
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“I’m so proud of my players. They deserve this win. It was not easy — a new coach, a new philosophy — but they adapted fast,” Chelle said. “Especially the best striker in the world, Osimhen. They gave everything. For me, they are my champions,” Chelle said during his interaction with the media after the game.
Ready For The Task Ahead
The Super Eagles will now shift attention to the playoffs where they will compete with Cameroon, Gabon and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Chelle said he is looking forward to the competition.
“Now we go to Morocco, it’s going to be very difficult. This is the start, and I am proud of everyone, even the fans, because they pushed us,”added the Malian.
By Adeboye Amosu
12 Comments
Well deserved!
I feel this playoff is a blessing in disguise, because it will give the players more room to be prepared and properly fit if they finally qualify. The matches will be an avenue to fine tune them for the world cup proper.
Lmao… na WA o…dem wan destroy this coach life…dem don start to dey introduce am to mkpuru miri just this year wey him come Nigeria…
you use a game against a minnow team like Benin republic to give him the title ba…..oya clap for yourself…. lmao….. Not even one of, but best…. lmao
Hahahaha Players like mbappe, Harry Kane, just to mention a few will be having stomach upset while reading this…. lmao
Best in the world ko, best in the woods ni…. hahahaha
My boss you jealousy is the last class you attend before becoming a full classified witch.
You forgot the road to South Africa 2010 and Germany 2006, if you remember then you will not be bitter with the coach speech.
We have Obagoal, Yakubu, Kanu, uche Ike, Igalo and others. What stops them from scoring up to 23 or 25 country career goals, or were we playing Brazil, Argentina, England, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Croatia, Belgium, France and other heavy weight nations?
You are quick to mention Mbappe, Kane and others, how many will survive the kind of teams Osime is playing with lesser supply, compare to their teams that have multiple supplies and teams that are star storm.
Please change your mentality, it will not help you to grow.
NFF should be proactive in making sure preparation starts in earnest,also the coach should work on the fitness of the players most especially the defense.
lastly we should pray that the God of soccer be on our side during the play offs
I agree with Coach Eric Chelle that Osimhen is probably the best striker in the world. Despite very tight and close markings in every game he plays, he is either scoring hatricks, braces and assists in large numbers for Clubs and Country.
The only reason xenophobic South Africa got away with murder, and the automatic ticket from the group was that Osimhen was not fit and did not play almost 6 out of 10 games, particularly the Home and away game with SA.
A fit Osimhen would do damage to even the best defence in the world and he strikes panic into any position as he can score with all parts of his anatomy- powerful headers from any position in or near the Box or with his powerful in and out of the Box.
Super eagles coach should start shopping for a reliable replacement for Osime incase of emergency, Arokoyade cannot lead the attack and give us the desirable in the absence of Osime. Unless the coach will reshuffle the team to play in a safe mode.
Alot of search needs to be done, we still have time. The coach have to try Agu in the left back if he recovers, because Bruno is not fit for that position if Agu is around. For now we can say our defense is no longer a problem with Fredrick, the guy is a rock. Fredrick and Bassy are two terrorist in the defense that can stand their own against any team.
Our problem now is the midfield and attack. Moses Simon is very predictable with his touchline hugging, which leaves us with only chuckwu Eze and Lookman. The Lazio man will still be very useful, Onyedika. A creative midfielder outside Iwobi is needed.
Time to call in Sani Suleiman from the u-20 class to man the left winger position. The guy is very young, strong, pacy and a terrorist winger either side- he should be in the squad for the playoffs and a formidable replacement for the aging Moses Simon, who has lost pace, energy and strength from the Simon of the last 8 years or so.
Also in midfield, the likes of Isreal Ayuma, Maigana Devine Olise and Daga from the U-20 team need to be drafted as the likes of Ndidi are losing pace and fitness in midfield.
Which kind of retarded thinking is this? Under 20 players that played the worst football i have ever seen an u20 team play.
This isn’t the time to experiment by bringing in the slightly better young players from a poor U20 squad. Coach Chelle should use the same team that spanked Benin to execute to playoffs. Of course, CAF African Player of the Year Lookman should play a role.
Slightly better ke. It’s their mates Morocco that will be playing semi final tonight against France.
Anyway, Chelle knows what to do. It’s his own legacy, his own turn to burnish his CV like Peserio did.
So, he’ll not dare look at people who were unskilled in the most crucial area: scoring as Nigerian goals were only scored by 3 defenders with 2 of the 4 goals, penalties.
They should go and improve themselves and maybe follow in Fredricks steps later on in life which I doubt will occur.
When many foreign born go soon “pay” for slots?
@Sly, I agree with you. I meant slightly better than their other team mates in Flying Eagles. But even that is debatable lol.
My boss with this your names, are we planning to win or planning to lose? Who will the over hype Daga that was not able to hold his own and make it happens in U20, which role will he play in the senior team? Who will they drop for him? Onyeka the tank, Onyedika, Uche or who?
Are you referring to same Sani that cannot over run the Saudi left back? Same Sani that cannot beat a player one on one? Please if it is a joke let’s not start it. Alot of our boys are scattered all over Europe we can draw from, but you are calling boys who are not qualified to play for our U20 if not go for corruption.